DRIFT ENGINE

DRIFT ENGINE

The Fear Economy: Understanding the Market of Anxiety

When attention becomes currency, fear becomes infrastructure

May 04, 2025
∙ Paid

Fear is no longer a glitch in the system. It is the system.

Look closely at what dominates your feed: outrage, uncertainty, collapse, crime. Not because these are the only things happening—but because they’re the easiest to monetize. Fear holds attention longer than joy. Anxiety refreshes faster than contentment.

What we call "news" is often just a guided…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to DRIFT ENGINE to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 DRIFT ENGINE
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture